TABLE 4: MEDITATION AND HAPPINESS - A SUMMARY OF SOME KEY POINTS 1. For better or for worse, the state of mind and emotion is reflected in the body. A happy, focused and peaceful mind, and a contented and open heart, are conducive to a healthier state of physical health, 2. Pleasure and happiness are not the same thing. What begins as a lunge after pleasure in the anticipation of substantial happiness soon becomes a retreat from pain, confusion, fear and anger. 3. Happiness is natural and restores itself given the right conditions. Meditation does not produce an artificial state of mind and emotion; it allows a natural state to reassert itself. 4. We all meditate on something or other. Most of the time, unfortunately, we meditate on anger, stress, worry, depression and the like. The effect of this indiscriminate, unconscious, habitual and harmful form of 'meditation' is a testament to the power of attention. 5. Consciousness powers, or gives life to, thoughts and feelings. It is indiscriminate and it is an act of intelligence or reason to decide what is worth giving attention to and what is not. 6. We almost constantly think our way out of happiness. Happiness will naturally restore itself given the right conditions. Happiness is never lost; it is only covered. 7. Meditation gently refocuses the attention. A more intelligent and constructive use of our awareness allows us to see our experiences as transitory and offers the potential to gently unhook the attention from unhelpful thoughts and feelings. 8. It is important to learn to be accepting of, and not reactive to, the thoughts and feelings of which we wish to be free. Reactivity and judgement only draw us deeper into the very thing we wish to be free of.